Month: February 2016

I stopped in at 7 Locks Brewing in Rockville, Maryland. My daughter recently moved in to a condo within a couple of blocks from this great brewery. We stopped in so we could try their beers and so I could buy a couple of growlers for my daughter. We had a great time. The beers were tasty. My wife even liked the Honey Ale and she doesn’t like beer. My daughter and her boyfriend liked the IPA. I really liked the Farmhouse Ale. I also really liked the Coffee Stout. The other brews were tasty as well, but these were our favorites. We bought growlers of IPA and Farmhouse Ale. The growler beers wend well with some Chinese takeout we brought back to her new place for dinner. 7 Locks Brewing has a great vibe – warehouse feel – and my wife, who isn’t as in to breweries really liked it. With our daughter now living close by we are looking forward to stopping in often. A few other details. The bartender that served us was really nice and really patient. The brewery also had a feed truck outside – we didn’t try any of the food but it looked good.

I stopped in at Waredaca Brewing Company in Laytonsville, Maryland for a beer and had a wonderful time! Waredaca is only twenty minutes from home and now I’m wishing I had stopped in sooner – although this could become a dangerous habit. What a great place. The farm setting is really beautiful and I’m sure this spring, summer and fall it will b a delightful place to visit. The tap room is really neat; a bar, a number of tables and chairs, and a casual seating area. It’s not cramped – has plenty of room for folks to hang out. And, yesterday with the gorgeous weather, dozens of folks were hanging out on picnic tables outside. I was not anticipating the roughly 50 cars in the parking lot when I got there. And, I was concerned it may be crowded, but despite the numbers it felt easy to get a great seat at the bar. And the enjoyment didn’t stop there. The guys at the bar were so kind and friendly. I had my brother with me who isn’t a beer drinker and he absolutely loved the homemade Lemongrass Ginger Soda. For me, I had to try the Beecher IPA which was really nice. Not too hoppy but hoppy enough. And not too heavy. Very drinkable. Then I tried the Reveille Coffee Stout – WOW – delicious. Smooth. Coffee. Delicious. It was so good I wanted to bring some home. I know my wife wouldn’t appreciate another growler. So I asked for one of the custom 32 oz cans. So Cool. They filled the can right from the tap then used the machine to cap it. See photo below. Despite visiting hundreds of breweries, this is the first of those machines I’ve ever seen. I’m looking forward to sharing that can with friends at home. Waredaca has a number of other beers you can check out plus a small snack menu that looks worth checking out as well. I hope to stop in again soon. Maybe you should too! Hope to see you there.

I stopped in at Busted Sandal Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas. The thing is, they weren’t open to the public tonight. But, that didn’t stop the owner, Mike, from responding to my e-mail and meeting me at the brewery and giving me an entire tour and explanation of their story along with several tastings. Wow! What an experience. Mike is an awesome guy, and if you’re in the San Antonio area you really do need to try these beers. So here’s some idea of what they have on tap. The 210 Ale is a deliious and very drinkable blonde ale. This would go great in the hot weather. It is smooth and very easy to drink. The Slippery Rock IPA has got to be one of the most drinkable IPA’s I’ve ever enjoyed. It has the flavor of an IPA but is not heavy at all and is very easy to drink. Currently they are experimenting with a Grapefruit 210 Ale which is their flagship blonde ale with grapefruit added. Personally, I love the grapefruit flavor. I could drink this all day. The El Robusto Porter is awesome. It is rich, chocolatey, and delicious. This would be a great dessert beer. So, there you have it. Get yourself over to Busted Sandal and try one!